Reviews by Sephiroth:

I once had the 2000 vintage, unfortunately the bottle didn't age gracefully. This is a beer I have looked forward to for a while now. Pours with good head for the ABV, the lacing is outstanding. The color is lighter than expected. The aroma is rich and complex, vanilla, oak and fruit dominate.

This beer tastes more like red wine than any wine-barrel-aged beer I have ever had. I am having trouble separating the beer flavor from the wine flavor. And I should note that I have tasted the regular Stille Nacht only once, it was a 1996 bottle tasted about a year ago. This beer tastes like a wonderful mix of a spiced dark Belgian ale and a rich Bordeaux. The wine notes are dominant, the barrels provide vanilla, and I think much of the spice is coming from the oak.

The mouthfeel is full and refined. I can see the carbonation, but I can only slightly perceive it on my palate now that I am almost finished with my glass. The mouthfeel was more carbonated at first. This beer could only be limited by the acidity provided by the wine barrels and the new sour yeast strain that I think De Dolle used for this beer, but those things won't stop me.

I am not giving a perfect five for taste because I expected a little more complexity, but that may come with age. And though I am fond of aging the right beers, I think this one may be best fresh.

More User Reviews:

A: Pours a dark, hazy gold, like burnished copper, with minimal head but ample signs of carbonation, champagne-like bubbles pooling around my glass.

S: Incredible aroma- strong red wine/vinous character leads- rich grapes, slight vinegar character, but not unwelcome. The barrel notes are the real star here and blend seamlessly with rest, into the more familiar elements of the base beer, with spicy yeast, honey, apples and pears.

T: Taste begins with apples, caramel honey, pears, blending into some spiciness on the mid-palate, finishing with dry grapes, barrel notes. Some alcohol warmth, though not overdone.

M: Full in the mouth, just short of creamy, carbonation tickling the tongue. Smooth, it's hard not to gulp this down.

O: This bottle was a real treat and shows how great this beer still is. I had another bottle months earlier which had not held up well, perhaps because of bad storage conditions. So, given the right treatment, this is still really fantastic.

The beer pours a golden color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the candy sugar, as well as some wheat, toffee and alcohol. The flavor is very similar. There is a ton of sugary sweetness, as well as some biscuit and toffee malt, as well as a good dose of alcohol. There is a little bit of yeast and some light fruit notes also in the flavor. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Pours a hazy and bright golden color with a half-finger cream-colored head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of sweet caramel malts with large amounts of red and white grapes, sugar-coated pears, and oak. Also present are hints of bready aromas.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Moderately sweet medium malt flavors kick things off and are joined almost immediately by equal amounts of bread-like and ripe pear flavors. Midway through the sip mild amounts of oak smooth things out further. Near the end of the sip mashed grape flavors with a decidedly vinous quality work their way into things, carrying through to a mildly sweet ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I'd been wanting to try this beer for a while and was happy with the result. However, I think De Dolle has better beers out there. Very much worth a shot but only go looking for this one after you've tried other, more easily accessible, offerings from this brewery.

Enjoyed bottle at Torst. The secret to its preservation is the honey, and that was big in the taste. Orange and golden bodied. Not boozy but its a big beer. With the honey is cloves, champagne yeast, other spice and a hint of vin tannin. Smooth, A little bitterness in the finish. Not as interesting or different as marketed and pricey, still a nice one.

The taste follows the nose with even more sweet and slightly oxidized malts. Floral wildflower honey, dried fruits and more figs. The Belgian yeast notes are really strong, and there's something funky and tart in it that I can't put my finger on. It finishes dry and makes me thirsty for water.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a decent level of carbonation that gives me the slightest bubble bite.

I think this one was past it's prime. A tasty beer for sure, but I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Pours yeast-laden golden brown with no head and thin sticky lacing (not that you'd expect tons of head in a twelve percent beer). Smells something like a Belgian barley wine might. Heady and sweet oak-edged alcohol precedes caramel-dipped citrus and cherries. Flavor is sweet and sugary. Full of caramel and butterscotch, yet balanced with spicy alcohol. Leaves behind an enveloping liquor-like warmth. Smooth and creamy body with gentle tingling carbonation. Very nice assuming you don't have a big aversion to diacetyl.

33cl bottle, originally from Kulminator. I've had about a 50/50 spilt on either wonderful or terrible of this one. Either moldy, wet wood or happiness. Cellar temp and poured into a HF tulip.

A - Deep orange with a good white head that give great retention.

S - Musty wood, tart red wine, cherries, faint caramel sweetness.

T - Musty wood, lots of tart oak with some great wine notes. The dry, fruity wine notes really come through in the middle and back favors, quite dominating. The dusty flavor in the front makes e feel that I'm actually drinking this in Kulminator's cellar.

M - Full medium feel. Just right.

O - I struggle with this one because it is so fantastic when it's on but can taste so very poorly if it is a bad bottle.

Right out of the bottle, a strong pineapple and brandy combo wafts into the air. Tropical fruit and heady brandy are the focus of the aroma, it's really intense and vivid.

In the Oerbier glass, some lace builds up the sides, but not excessive. Strong ABV keeps the foam from rising too much, but a gentle swirl always brings it back. The body is opaque and tawny orange in tone.

First sip puts your head back, the strength asserts itself, then the flavors flood across the palate. The intense fruit and liqueur-level strength envelop the palate and integrate perfectly. Pear, pineapple at first...brandy soaked plums, some light malt, dryness from the Bordeaux barrel. Whiskey woodiness also makes an appearance.

The small bottle is gone too soon, but it took a good half-hour to savor it. Some age would likely be good for the drinkability of this vintage.

Alongside the Oerbier Reserva, Export Stout, & Dulle Teve, De Dolle makes some of the most unique and creative beers out there...

Bottle courtesy of FoneFan: Poured a dirty beige yellow color ale with a huge foamy head with great retention and perfect lacing. Aroma of sweet malt with some liquor also noticeable from the barrel-aging. Taste is a mixture between some sweet malt with some notes of brandy or some other sweet liquor. Full body with limited filtration and loads of lees with great carbonation and no apparent alcohol which is quite a feat at 13%. While I thought it was an interesting beer I must admit I was a bit let down and was expecting more.

I just had this and thought it was pretty damn good. Very belgian in aroma, a bit thin in mouthfeel but the finish was distinctive and quite enjoyable. My experience with this brewery has been lots o' hops but not so with this one. Malty, fruity and too quick down the gullet.

A big thanks to the kind BA who sent me this bottle to cross a hard to get one off my wants list. Served at cellar temp and poured into a snifter, this one was consumed on 01/31/2009.

The pour was very nice. Rich amber in color, light golden hue coming though with a light cloudiness to it. Some nice carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass. A huge head of white coming up and over the top and settling down into a thing film that never did get any lower, really very solid look here.

The aroma was loaded with hints of raisins, light fruit, oak and subtle sourness. As I lean in for the first sip a warm rush of alcohol takes over and warms from the inside out. Nice touches of herby notes, lots of sour and oak touches. Nice soft fruits, apricot and raisin mostly. Subtle carbonation and a nearly flawless body on this one. As I sat and sipped through the bottle I was impressed by the complexity of the flavor. The sourness really was nicely balanced here. A solid beer that I am glad I was able to finally get ahold of. If you are holding on to this one, I would go for it. It is drinking perfect.

Pours a dark golden color with a creamy white head that laces throughout. Smells like fig, spice, dried fruit and a little brown sugar. Taste is buscuit, sweet, a mild tartness and a very smooth finish. Medium in the mouth. ABV is non existant. This doesnt blow you away with flavor but isnt supposed to. A tasty Belgian indeed.

Thanks to egajdzis for sharing this newly released winner in a side by side tasting of '05 vs. '00...
Appears a smi-transparent gold with a small white cap that slowly fades out. Spotty lacing is left all around the glass.
Smell is of sugary, honey, doughy yeast, vanilla, caramelized apple cobbler. Hot alcohol presence with banana esters buried in there.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with a more phenolic, hot alcohol bite.
Mouthfeel is sweet up front, medium bodied, chewy, hot abv noticeable with fruity apple cider mixed in with a bit of a grain alcohol warmness.
Not too shabby but it needs time to mellow out. If it ripens like the 2000 version, it'll be outstanding.

Appearance: Pours a partly translucent gold with a white creamy head and little lacing.

Smell: A fruit sour aroma with a cider like attribute touch of honey, and oak woodiness grace the nose.

Taste: The acidity is present but not intense. The sweetness is magnificently balanced with fruity dates grapes and apples, with honey and then a sour apple flavor with a splash of citrus and vanilla. It has an exceptional long lingering sour woody aftertaste smooth and easy.

Mouthfeel: A little alcohol warmth with the spices and sourness make this full bodied beer feel smooth and silky across the tongue.

This one pours a light bodied rich polished bronze with a one finger, soft white head with good retention around the glass. The nose is rustic. There is a good amount of old, musty oak with moderate earthy Cab notes. It smells the way I imagine the attic at Cantillon to smell. The flavors too are super earthy. It's dusty, super musty and dry with a moderate amount of slightly sweet red wine character. I can't stop thinking of cobwebs and a dry musty cave. It is REALLY good. I didn't know what to expect but this one is pretty spectacular. The old world Bordeaux barrels really showed well on this one. This was a very interesting beer and well worth your while.